MLB Draft Highlights Key Panini Baseball Card Products – Once again, thanks to the MLB draft, Panini Baseball products continued its long-standing tradition of delivering the first autographs and memorabilia cards from some of the most prized prospects of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft.
Roughly, half the players drafted in the 1st Round of the 2017 MLB Draft are currently available in two, already released, Panini Baseball products. Collectors can find these treasures housed within the checklists of 2016 Panini Elite Extra Edition and 2017 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes.
Eight of the first eighteen players selected currently have exclusive autograph & memorabilia content in these two programs:
• 1st Overall (Twins) Royce Lewis, SS, JSerra Catholic High School, CA
• 2nd Overall (Reds) Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame High School, CA
• 4th Overall (Rays) Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP, Louisville Cardinals *
• 5th Overall (Braves) Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt Commodores *
• 9th Overall (Brewers) Keston Hiura, 2B/DH, UC Irvine Anteaters *
• 11th Overall (White Sox) Jake Burger, 3B, Missouri State Bears *
• 12th Overall (Pirates) Shane Baz, RHP, Concordia Lutheran High School, TX
• 14th Overall (Royals) Nick Pratto, 1B/RHP, Huntington Beach High School, CA *
• 15th Overall (Astros) J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, North Carolina Tar Heels *
• 17th Overall (Mariners) Evan White, 1B, Kentucky Wildcats *
• 18th Overall (Tigers) Alex Faedo, RHP, Florida Gators *
• 20th Overall (Mets) David Peterson, LHP, Oregon Ducks
• 23rd Overall (Dodgers) Jeren Kendall, OF, Vanderbilt Commodores
• 24th Overall (Red Sox) Tanner Houck, RHP, Missouri Tigers
• 30th Overall (Cubs) Alex Lange, RHP, LSU Tigers
* Denotes exclusive autographs & memorabilia content
Five additional players featured in 2017 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes and 2016 Panini Elite Extra Edition were drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2017 MLB Draft, bringing the total to 20 overall players with autographs & memorabilia between these two programs.
• 48th Overall (Rockies) Ryan Vilade, 3B, Stillwater HS, OK
• 52nd Overall (Royals) M.J. Melendez, C, Westminster Christian School, FL
• 61st Overall (Blue Jays) Hagen Danner, C, Huntington Beach HS, CA *
• 64th Overall Quentin Holmes, OF, McClancy Memorial HS, NY
• 66th Overall Hans Crouse, RHP, Dana Hills HS, CA
* Denotes exclusive autographs & memorabilia content
It is important to note that nine players featured in either 2017 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes and 2016 Panini Elite Extra Edition are still actively playing with their collegiate teams in the 2017 College World Series. The players on this list, who have not yet been drafted, are all but guaranteed to hear their name called in the drafts subsequent rounds (3-50)
• Alex Faedo, RHP, Florida Gators drafted 18th Overall *
• Taylor Walls, 2B, Florida State Seminoles
• Mike Rivera, C, Florida Gators *
• Evan Skoug, C, TCU Horned Frogs *
• KJ Harrison, C, Oregon State Beavers *
• Devin Hairston, SS, Louisville Cardinals *
• Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP, Louisville Cardinals drafted 4th Overall *
• Alex Lange, RHP, LSU Tigers drafted 30th Overall
• Daulton Guthrie, SS, Florida Gators
* Denotes exclusive autographs & memorabilia content
MLB Draft Highlights Key Panini Baseball Card Products
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